Heat is on Dumars, Pistons

The current offseason is likely one of the biggest of Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars’ career.

Dumars has won a championship as a general manager and he was named the NBA’s executive of the year for the 2002-03 season. But there are questions about whether he can do it again.

Like every general manager, Dumars has had his hits and misses, but his reputation with some in Detroit has seemed to really suffer in recent years. The drafting of Darko Milicic and trading Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson at the start of the 2008-09 season continue to haunt Dumars’ resume, even though both were years ago.

Fans are always going to call for general managers to be fired, but it seems like the anti-Dumars group has gained steam in recent years. Are the numbers getting higher or it is just a loud minority getting more vocal? It’s hard to tell.

But the Pistons have been in rebuild mode the past few years and it’s always a difficult period for a franchise to go through.

“You always hear people say, ‘Well they need to hit rock bottom and they need to rebuild,’ ” Dumars said recently. “They throw that out there all the time, until you start rebuilding. The flip side of it is ... all the stuff that comes with rebuilding. So yeah on one hand everybody says, ‘Oh they need to hit rock bottom to rebuild.’ As soon as you start doing it then the stuff starts falling. ... It’s easy to say, tough to do.”

Not many general managers are given the chance to make a run and then rebuild for a second run. They are often cast aside once the first run ends and someone else is brought in to rebuild.

Dumars has been given that chance and it’s clear he wants to show he can do it again.

The Pistons entered the offseason searching for a new coach, with the No. 8 pick in the NBA Draft and more than $20 million in cap space.

Since then Dumars hired Maurice Cheeks as the new coach, drafted Georgia’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope with the No. 8 pick, while also adding North Texas’ Tony Mitchell in the second round, signed free agents Josh Smith, Chauncey Billups and Luigi Datome, and re-signed Will Bynum.

The new additions join the core of Andre Drummond, Greg Monroe, Brandon Knight and Kyle Singler.

It’s tough in the middle of the summer to grade the offseason. Nearly every team in the league feels they made good moves in the offseason or else they wouldn’t have made them.

Does adding Smith, Billups and Caldwell-Pope, along with the hiring of Cheeks make the Pistons a playoff team?

“I don’t know,” Dumars said when asked if the Pistons are a playoff team. “I know we can compete for it now. We’ve upgraded the talent. We’ve upgraded what we needed to in terms of shooting, leadership, athleticism. We feel like we made the steps to get better. Time will tell how it plays out. Obviously we feel we’ve improved this offseason.”

The Pistons have the NBA maximum of 15 players signed for next season and second-round pick Peyton Siva remains unsigned.

The draft and free agency are over for Detroit, but trades still remain a possibility. The expiring contracts of Rodney Stuckey and Charlie Villanueva are the Pistons’ main bargaining chips in trades.

Detroit still owes Charlotte a first-round pick. The pick is top eight protected next year, so if the Pistons do make the playoffs next season, Charlotte will get the pick.

Dumars will likely have to get creative to make the right deal, but there are teams looking to get under the luxury tax that he might be able to take advantage of.

The trade rumor that won’t seem to go away for the Pistons, is dealing for Boston point guard Rajon Rondo. The Celtics are in complete rebuild mode after dealing Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to Brooklyn.

Rondo obviously would fill a big need for the Pistons so the rumors will likely continue. Sometimes, where there is smoke there is fire. But, from the Celtics’ perspective, Rondo is currently recovering from a torn ACL and every team knows they are rebuilding. Rondo’s value has likely never been lower.

Boston will likely wait for Rondo to return next season and show he is the same player before they make a deal so they can get maximum value.

If somehow Dumars can get Rondo without giving up Drummond or Monroe then the Pistons would really start to look dangerous on paper, but that might just be a fantasy for Pistons fans.

Dumars has maintained the Pistons are open to anything, but Detroit won’t simply make a deal to make a deal. Dumars has confidence in the current roster.

“I’m comfortable if we had to go into the season with this roster,” Dumars said. “I’m really comfortable with this roster. But you can’t shut the door now and say, ‘OK, we’re done.’ It’s July. It’s a long time before Oct. 1. You let teams around the league know that you’re still open. If something comes up that will get us one step further, we’d do it. But if you’re asking me if I’m comfortable now with this (roster)? Yeah I am.”

Dumars has been active this offseason, but did ‘Joe D’ make the right moves and will the Pistons start to trend upward?

He’s made a big gamble that Smith can play alongside Monroe and Drummond, and a smaller gamble on Billups, who will be 37 when the season opens.

Odds are pretty high the Pistons won’t contend for any sort of championship this season, but progress has to be made or Dumars’ time in Detroit could be nearing its end.

Dumars’ legacy will always include the three championships he’s brought Detroit, but how he is ultimately remembered will include how this offseason pans out.

Was it the beginning of another comeback by the Pistons orchestrated by Dumars? Or was it the beginning of the end of the Dumarsera?

Dave Pemberton covers the Pistons for Digital First Media. Email him at dave.pemberton@oakpress.com and follow him on Twitter @drpemberton.